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REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXIX. No. 23 Published Every SaUrday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. Dec. 6. 1924
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Light and the Good Window Display
M. J. Ward, of Curtis Lighting, Inc., Chicago, Describes the Use of Varying Lighting Schemes in the Holiday
Window Display—Varying the Presentation Through the Modification of the Light Plan—
The Equipment Necessary to Obtain These Effects
i ILL your home with music this Christ-
mas" should be the keynote of the sen-
timent expressed in the window displays
of every music dealer in the country during this
holiday season.
Home—music—Christmas.' Just three words,
but they contain a wealth of suggestion. Some
who look at the windows will think of waking
on Christmas morning to the sweet strains of a
carol played on a phonograph. Others may
"F
In the show windows, as on the stage, the
effects of the setting depend largely upon the
lighting. For purposes of illustration, we will
set up an imaginary window and explain just
how lighting effects can be employed to pro-
mote the Christmas spirit. (While this window
will serve to demonstrate a variety of lighting
effects, it would not be necessary to include
them all to produce a very pleasing picture.)
Two small window sashes are set into a false
December days are dark and gloomy and this
added brightness during the daylight hours will
not only show the articles to better advantage
but also give the window a cheerful, inviting
atmosphere.
Although the lighting appears to be only a
part of the setting, it actually plays a far more
important role. It subtly draws the attention
of the passer-by to those articles that the dealer
wishes to feature. This is because the strong-
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imagine the pleasures of an informal recital on
the new piano when their friends call on Christ-
mas day. And still others may enthuse at the
thought of dancing in the evening to the music
of a far-away orchestra that has been brought
into the home by a new receiving set. By in-
stilling this idea of Christmas music into the
minds of the people who see your windows,
you plant the impulses that will grow into many
a sale.
Everything in the holiday window should
add something to the momentum of the desire
these three words create. A placard, a Christ-
mas wreath and a musical instrument might
present the idea that the holiday season is ap-
proaching and that you have instruments to
sell, but they would never gain the warm re-
sponse that they would if placed in a home-like
setting. The window suggesting music and
Christmas would advertise. The window sug-
gesting music, Christmas and home would sell.
The "stage setting" to give the home-like at-
mosphere is not necessarily elaborate or expen-
sive. In fact, simplicity should be a guiding
principle. A piano, one or two comfortable arm
chairs, floor or table lamps with soft-colored
shades, and perhaps a radio set or talking ma-
chine, will complete and tell the story.
background, which appears to be the outside
wall of the room. In the center of this same
wall is a fireplace that stands out far enough
to permit an artificial fire to be laid on the
grate. The fireplace itself can be a wooden
frame, covered with brick paper; well-filled
stockings hang from the mantel. On one side
of the fireplace is the new piano, conspicuously
marked "for Mother"; on the other side is a
radio cabinet, with the tag "for Daddy." A sax-
ophone for "Buddy," some records for "Grand-
ma," and numerous other appropriate gifts for
various members of the family could be placed
here and there with packages of gifts.
The stage is set for the big surprises on eve
or Christmas morning.
But how do you know it is Christmas eve?
The lighting tells you. At night the room is
dimly lighted. Pale moonlight streams through
the two windows. The glowing embers and the
colorful spots of light coming from the electric
candles on the mantel and the floor lamp add
to the impression of midnight on Christmas
eve.
During the bright part of the day a "Christ-
mas morning" picture may be suggested by yel-
low sunlight coming through the windows and
flooding the room with its clear light. Many
est intensities of light are directed onto the
piano and the cabinet. The sunlight or the
moonlight streaming through the two windows
throws a strong light on both objects. In addi-
tion to that light and in order to get an equally
strong light on the front of the piano, a flood
light placed in the center of the window envel-
ops the instrument with a spot of clear light.
A floor lamp on the other side of the window
throws a soft glow on the radio or talking-
machine cabinet.
No unusual equipment is necessary for obtain-
ing these effects. A single 250 or 500 watt flood-
light with a center spot beam is installed in the
row of window reflectors for the clear light on
the piano. Blue or red color screens placed
over the window reflectors give the room a
darkened or fire-lit background. This illumina-
tion should not be too bright. If necessary,
burn only alternate lamps or just enough watt-
age to give the room a subdued light. It will be
found that the blue and red color screens ab-
sorb a considerable amount of light, but per-
haps not enough to give the room a sufficiently
dusky atmosphere for the night picture.
Back of the false background, two other
floodlights of about 250-watt capacity arc
(Continued on page 5)